Vibration-recorder for automobiles and other vehicles.



E. S. PHELPS.

VIBRATION RECORDER FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES. APPLIOATION FILEDMAR. 1, 1907.

Patented May 11, 1909 THE NORRIS Finns cc wunmamm :2 c.

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EDWIN SANFORD PHELPS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VIBRATION-RECGRDER FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1 1, 1909.

Application filed March 1, 1907. Serial No. 360,084.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. PnELrs, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vibration-Rccordersfor Automobiles and other ehicles; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompa nying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a device for automatically recording the runningor moving of automobiles, and other vehicles or moving bodies byactuation of recording means from vibrations of the vehicle or bodyduring the period it is in use.

The object of the invention is to provide a recording member sensitiveto the vibrations of the conveyance or vehicle so as to make the record;also to provide for indicating wl'iether the recording device has beentampered with for the purpose of preventing it making its automaticrecord; also to provide for making a record of access to the operativeparts by unauthorized persons.

The device is specially well adapted for affording the wners ofautomobiles protection against the unauthorized use of the vehicle,since it will furnish a record indicating the use of the same, and theperiod of its use, as well as a record of access to the operative partsif such be had at any time. It also affords a removable record dialwhich need not be examined or replaced by another oftener than once aweek unless sooner desired, thus giving to the owner the minimum oflabor, time, thought and anxiety, and providing for him at the end ofthe week a correct record of the running of his automobile during thepreceding seven days and in the meanwhile requiring no attention, andnot being subject to or making necessary any act on the part of thechauffeur to make a record of the use or running of the machine.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear the invention consists in the features hereinafterparticularly described and then drawings forming a part hereof, and inwhich- Figure 1 is a sectional view through the casing or shell with aportion of the recording dial broken away Fig.2 is a plan view withparts in section; Fig. 3 is a detail view of some of the parts; Fig. 4:is a plan view of the vibrating arm carrying the marker and of the snailfollower and other parts Fig. is an end view of the parts shown in Fig.4, with portions broken away; Fig. 6 is a perspcctive of the lockingpost, with part broken away; Fig. 7 is a sectional detail showing meansfor actuating the marking arm in removing a part of the casing. Fig. 8is a view of a part of the record-receiving dial showing at one pointthe marking made by the vibrating marking point.

In the drawing, the numerals 1 and 2 designate the two parts of a shellor casing of any approved pattern, which will contain the working partsof the recorder, one part being locked to the other by suitable means,for instance, by means of a post or pin 3 secured to one part and havinghook or nose 4 at one end with which will engage a button or bolt 5secured to the other part 2 and formed with a recess 6 adapted, when thetwo parts of the shell are to be separated, to be brought into alinementwith the nose 4 by the bit 7 of a key 8 which will engage a shoulderformed by a notch 9 in the bolt, said recess and nose being moved out ofalineinent and into locking engagement by the same means when the twoparts of the casing are to be locked together. While this affords asimple and effective locking construction, any other desired lock may beemployed without affecting other features of the invention.

The recording mechanism contained within the casing in its preferredform is constructed as follows. The numeral 10 denotes a frame securedwithin one section of the casing, say the part 2, by screws 11 orotherwise, and carries a post 12 on which turns a sleeve 13 formed witha pinion 14 at its base and carrying a toothed wheel 15 making onerevolution in 24 hours and consequently denominated the hour-wheel. Thesleeve 13 also carries a dial-plate 16 which may be secured thereto by athreaded nut 17, or otherwise, and upon which is mounted arecord-receivsought to be clearly defined by the claims, 1 ing dial 18,preferably of paper sensitive to receiving an impression or mark from areference being had to the accompanying marker but may be of othermaterial, said dial being secured to its plate by pins 19 passingthrough it and by spring fingers 20 made to bear thereon with more orless friction by means of the swiveled nut 21 having threaded engagementwith the sleeve 13, said sleeve being held in place, free to re volve onthe post 12, by a screw 22 as shown in Fig. 2. The pinion 14 of thesleeve 13 meshes with a pinion 23 with which is connected a pinion 24which meshes with a toothed wheel 25 with which is connected a snail 26.The sleeve 13 and hour wheel 15 derive movement from a toothed-wheel 27connected with a toothed-wheel 28 with which meshes a pinion 29 derivingmotion from a pinion 20, the spindle 31 of which passes t rough abushing 32 and carries a pinion 33 which derives motion from anysuitable form of clock-mechanism which may be carried, say, on the part2 of the casing and which is not illustrated except a portion 34 of atoothed wheel, representing the ordinary toothed wheel of a clock-springbarrel, such illustration being suflicient as such clock-mechanism doesnot constitute the invention.

The numeral 35 designates a sleeve rotatable upon a shaft 36 andcarriyng at one end a follower-arm 37 having a friction-roller 38bearing on the involute curved snail 26 and held thereagainst by aspring 39. The sleeve at its other end carries two arms 40 and 41between which the record-receiving dial 18 will extend the arm 40 havinga lip 42 which will serve to guide said record-dial between said armswhen from any cause the latter are outside of the periphery of saiddial. To the arm 41 there is loosely pivoted by a pin 43 a vibrating arm44 which carries at its outer end a marking point preferably formed by afinger 45, pivoted by a pin 46 to the arm 44 and carrying a pin 47 tocontact with the face of the record-receiving dial 18, said finger beingunder the influence of a spring 48, the tension of which can beregulated by a screw 49 having its bearing in the arm 44, the free endof said spring to normally depress the end of the finger having themarking pin. he heel of the finger 45 carries an upwardly extending pin50 against which will bear the head of an adjusting screw 51 by means ofwhich the rear end of the finger may be depressed, so that by means ofsaid screw and the spring the degree of pressure of the marking point onthe record-receiving dial may be regulated. The vibrating arm 44 may berestricted in its movement by having a part of the finger 45 fit in anopening or recess 41 formed in the end of the arm 41, or otherwise.

The rear end of the arm 44 has a lateral or deflected extension 52 towhich is pivotally connected one end of a lever 53, the other end ofwhich is pivotally connected to a weight or pendulum 54 fulcrumed at 55,so the movement of said pendulum will be transmitted through said leverto the vibrating arm and thus cause the marking point to make aninscription or mark on the record-receiving dial. The lever 53 can beconnected nearer to or farther from the fulcrum of the lever through anyone of the openings 56 so as to regulate the sensitiveness of themarking point' The recording-dial is divided into a series of divisionsrepresenting the seven days of the week, and these divisions are formedof a series of involute-curved lines, each line representing a spaceequal to the twenty-four hours of the day, so that one dial can be usedfor making a record of one week, each line of the involute curverepresenting one day of the week, and thus the record of each day of theweek can be preserved and the weeks record filed away for future reference. The involute-curved lines are divided by transverse lines intospaces representing the hours of the day, the space be tween the hourdivisions being divided by transverse lines indicating fractions of anhour-for instance, into six spaces, each space representing a period often minutes and the distance traveled by the dial in that period oftime-thus permitting to be read from the dial the hour and fraction ofthe hour at which the marker is operated in the swinging of thependulum.

It will be observed that the recording-dial is marked with numeralsindicating the hours of the day, which numerals may be arranged in twodivisions of twelve hours each, although they may run from 1 to 24. Theinvolute curves of the dial and the involute of the snail bear suchrelation to each other that while the snail is making one completerevolution the recording-dial will make seven revolutions and the snailwill travel each day a distance bearing a definite relation to thelength of the curve representing the day whose record is to be made, sothat the snail will act upon the marking device to carry it from onecurved line to the other as one day succeeds another, the snail andgears for transmitting motion thereto being so proportioned as to effectthat result.

By connecting the vibrating marker with the pendulum every movement ofthe pendulum derived from the movement of the body to which the recorderis attached is transmitted to the vibrating marker and the latter leavesits imprint upon the 1GCOl(l1'0- ceiving dial, and as said dial iscontinuously moving under the influence of the time mechanism and hasdivisions representing days of the week and hours and fractions of hoursof the day, an inspection of the record-dial will show not only the daybut also the time of day and the period of time that the vehicle hasbeen in use.

In order to prevent the mechanism being tampered with to change ordestroy the record without having a record made thereof, the sleeve 35is provided with a suitable cam 57, and the fixed part 1 of the casingis provided with a finger 58 pivoted in an offset 59 of the part 1 sothat it can swing in one direction but not the other, and is held in itsnormal position by a spring 60. This finger projects into the path ofthe cam 57 the part 2 of the casing being formed with a slot 61 for thatpurpose. In inserting the part 2 into the part 1 of the casing the cam57 will press the linger 58 against the influence of the spring so thatthe sleeve 35 will not be affected, but in withdrawing the part 2 of thecasin the finger 58 will not yield to the action or the cam 57 andconsequently the pressure of the linger on the cam will turn the sleeveand cause the vibrating marker to swing outward toward the periphery ofthe record-receiving dial and to make an inscription across the face ofthe dial to its periphery, thus indicating that the parts have beenremoved and also indicating the time of the removal and the day. In thisway the owner is enabled to determine whether an attempt has been madeto tamper with the record.

The recorder will be attached to the body whose movements it is torecord. In the drawing it is illustrated as attached by suitable numberof bolts, of which one 63 is illustrated, to a dashboard 64 which may beof an automobile. The nut of the bolt it will be observed is inside thecasing so that the recorder cannot be detached except without firstwithdrawing the recording mechanism, in doing which as above indicated arecord thereof will be made.

The device is compact, composed of comparatively few parts, not apt toget out of working condition, and will provide an accurate record of theuse or movement of the body to which attached.

I have described with particularity the preferred details ofconstruction and arrange ment of parts but the invention is notrestricted thereto as changes can be made so as to be within the scopeof the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set for its merits what I claim is:-

1. In a vibration recorder, means to support a continuously movingrecord-receiving member, a marker having a progressive and areciprocating movement parallel with the face of the record-receivingmember, and a pendulum supported independently of the marker andactuated by vibrations of the body to which the recorder is attachedoperating to reciprocate said marker, suliistantially as described.

2. In a vibration recorder, means to support a continuously movingrecord-receiving member, a marker having a radial progressive and aradial reciprocating movement,

and a pendulum supported independently of the marker and actuated byvibrations of the body to which the recorder is attached for exerting aradial pressure on the marker, substantially as described.

3. In a vibration recorder, means to sup port a record-receiving member,a marker having a radial progressive and a radial reciprocatingmovement,and a pen dulous member having a movable connection with the marker andactuated by vibration of the body to which the recorder is attached forexerting a radial pressure on the marker, substantially as described.

4. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,a member having a radial progressive movement across therecord-receiving member, a pivotal member carried by said radialprogressive member and provided with a. marking point, and meanspivotally connected with said pivotal member and actuated by vibrationsof the body to which the recorder is attached operating to reciprocatesaid pivotal member, substantially as described.

5. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receivin member, amember having a radial progressive movement across the record-receivingmember, a pivotal member carried by said radial progressive memher andprovided with a marking point, and a pendulous member having amovementindependently of the pivotal member and operating to reciprocatesaid pivotal member, substantially as described.

6. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,a marker capable of vibration parallel with the face of saidv member andmovable progressively across the face thereof, and means actuated byvibrations of the body of which the recorder is attached exertingpressure on said marker in a direction substantially parallel with therecord-receiving member, substantially as described.

7. In a vibration recorder, n'ieans to support a record receivingmember, a marker capable of vibration parallel with the face of saidmember and movable progressively across the face thereof, means actuatedby vibrations of the. body to which the recorder is attached exertingpressure on said marker in a direction substantially parallel with therecord-receiving member, and a spring adapted to press the marking pointagainst the record receiving member.

8. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record receiving member,a marker capable of vibration parallel with the face of said member andmovable progressively across the face thereof, means actuated byvibrations of the body to which the recorder is attached exertingpressure on said marker in a direction substantially parallel with therecord-receiving member, and means for regulating the extent ofvibration of the marker.

9. A travel recorder for vehicles, comprising in combination a clockmechanism, a record sheet moved thereby, a stylus bearing normally onsaid sheet and a support for said stylus, movable transversely to thenormal line of travel of the record sheet and adapted to be oscillatedby the vibrations of the vehicle incident to ordinary running whereby azigzag or wavy line will be produced on the record sheet while thevehicle is in motion.

10. A travel recorder for vehicles, comprising in combination a clockmechanism, a record sheet moved thereby, a stylus bearing normally onsaid sheet, and a pivoted support for the stylus having a pendulumattachment, arranged to vibrate in a plane parallel to the record sheet,whereby the stylus will be oscillated transversely to the normal line oftravel of the record sheet by the vibrations of the vehicle incident toordinary running.

11. A travel recorder for vehicles, comprising in combination, a clockmechanism, a circular record sheet rotated thereby, a stylus bearingnormally on said sheet, a pendulous support for the stylus, arranged tovibrate in a plane parallel to the record sheet, and a carrieradjustable radially with respect to the record sheet and to which thesupport for the stylus is connected, these parts being arranged so thatthe stylus will be oscillated transversely to the normal line of travelof the record sheet by the vibrations of the vehicle incident toordinary running.

12. In a vibration recorder, means to sup port a record-receivingmember, a marker capable of vibration parallel with the face of therecord-receiving member, means for progressively moving the marker in adirection radially of the record-receiving member, means for moving therecord-receiving member, and means actuated by vibrations of the body towhich the recorder is attached exerting a pressure on the marker in adirection substantially parallel with the face of the recordreceivingmember, substantially as described.

13. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,a marker capable of vibration parallel with the face of said member,means for progressively moving the marker in a direction radially of therecord-receiving member, means for moving the record-receiving member,and a pendulous member exerting a pressure on the marker in a directionparallel with the face of the record-receiving member, substan tially asdescribed.

14. In a vibration recorder, means to sup port a record-receivingmember, means for moving said member, a vibrating marker, a pendulumconnected with said marker to exert pressure thereon in a planesubstantially parallel with the face of the record-receiving member, andmeans for rogressively changing the position of sai marker in relationto the record-receiving member, substantially as described.

15. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,means for moving said member, a swinging arm, means for progressivelychanging the position of said arm in relation to the record-receivingmember, a vibrating-marker carried by said arm and capable of vibratingparallel with the face of the record-receiving member, and a pendulumconnected with said marker,

substantially as described.

16. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,means for moving said member, a vibrating marker capable of vibratingparallel with the face of the record-receiving member, said markerincluding a member pivotally connected thereto and carrying amarking-point, and means for progressively changing the position of saidmarker in relation to the record-receiving member, substantially asdescribed.

17. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,means for moving said member, a vibrating marker including a memberpivotally connected thereto and carrying a marking point, a springexerting pressure on said pivoted member to press the marking pointagainst the recordreceiving member, and means for progressively changingsaid vibrating marker in relation to the record-receiving member, substantially as described.

18. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,means for moving said member, a vibrating marker capable of vibratingparallel with the face of the record-receiving member and including amember pivotally connected thereto and carrying a marking point, andmeans for exerting a regulated pressure on said pivoted member,substantially as described.

19. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,means for moving said member, a vibrating marker, a pendulum, aleverconnecting said pendulum, said marker and pendulum having independentcenters of oscillation, with the vibrating marker to move the markerparallel with the face of the record-receiving member, and means forregulating the throw of the lever connecting the pendulum and vibratingmarker, substantially as described.

20. In a recorder, a record-receiving member, a vibratable marker forrecording thereon, a pendulum, the vibratable marker and the pendulumhaving independent centers of oscillation, and means connecting thependulum with the marker for transmitting movement of the former to thelatter, substantially as described.

21. In a recorder, a record-receiving memher, a vibratable marker forrecording therei on, a Weight, and a yielding connection bei tween theweight and vibratable marker through which motion is transmitted 'l'romthe former to the latter, substantially as described. 1

2 In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,means for moving said member, a vibrating marker, a pendulum connectedwith said marker for moving it parallel with the lace ol' therecordreceiving member, means for progressively changing the position ofsaid marker in relation to the record-receiving member, and a two-partcasing inclosing said parts, one part of the casing carrying the severalparts of the recording mechanism, substantially as described.

23. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,means for moving said member, a vibrating marker, a pendulum connectedwith said marker, means for progressively changing the position of saidmarker in relation to the recordreceiving member, and a two-part casinginclosing said parts, one part of the casing carrying the several partsof the recording mechanism and having the record-receiving meansadjacent to the rear of the other part of the casing, substantially asdescribed.

24. In a vibration recorder, a two-part casing, a post connected to onepart of the casing and extending Within the same tol ward the other partthereof and having its l end formed with a hook, and a bolt connected tothe other part of the casing and positioned to have locking engagementwith the hook end of said post, substantially as described.

25. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,means for moving said member, a vibrating marker, means forprogressively changing the position of said marker in relation to therecordreceiving member, a casing inclosing said parts, and means formoving the vibrating marker across the record-receiving member to markthereon in the operation of withdrawing the operating mechanism i'romthe casing, substantially as described.

26. In a vibration recorder, means to support a record-receiving member,means for moving said member, a sleeve provided with a swinging arm, avibrating marker carried by said arm, a cam on the sleeve of theswinging arm, a two-part casing inclosing said mechanism, and a fingerconnected to one part of the casing and located to act upon said cam toswing the arm and its vibrating marker in separating one part of thecasing from the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDI VIN SANFORD PHELPS Witnesses:

JULIA I. CORCORAN, CLARA A. RYLEY.

